The cost has been reduced from 67 cents per therm, or 100 cubic feet, to 65 cents for local customers. This could result in a savings of about $18 per year, which Massmann said is not a lot but is headed in the right direction.

“There is a sufficient supply to serve the demand,” said Massmann.

Laclede Gas Company, which includes Missouri Natural Gas, costs have also dropped from 54 cents per therm last year to 52 cents per therm for residential customers.

Ameren’s 65 cents per-therm cost covers the cost of the gas and the delivery of it to the Ameren system. That accounts for 60 percent of the cost on a customer’s bill and includes no mark up from Ameren.

The other 40 percent of a customer’s bill is to cover operating costs and investments in the system.

Laclede Gas Company spokeswoman Jenny Gobble said her company’s average customer will save $12 for the heating season, which runs from Nov. 1 to the end of March. The estimated savings does not take into account weather-related issues or a future rate adjustment.

“Natural gas remains the most cost effective energy source available for homes and businesses today,” Laclede Gas Company President Steve Lindsey said in a news release.

About 60 percent of a Missouri Natural Gas customer’s bill covers the cost of the gas. The other 40 percent is for the infrastructure and operating and maintenance costs to deliver the heating source to homes and businesses.